Vacuum corn picker



Feb, 211, 1933. J. E. BOCKMANN 11989 ,75? VACUUM CORN PICKER Filed May7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 21, 1933. J. E. BOCKMANN 1,898,757

VACUUM CORN PICKER gwuewto'c Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT"OFFICE JOHN E. nocniamr, 8'1. EDWARD, NEBRASKA, ASSIGN'OB OF IHTY- TWOPER cm .130 W. C. FOSTER, O1 YORK, NEBRASKA.

vacuum: coax mm Application fled an 1,1929. Serial are. 861,071.

My invention relates to corn pickers, one of its objects bein theprovision of a pneumatic device whereiy the husks are torn from the earsof corn largely by the action of a ourrent of air.

Another of my objects is the husking mechanism which w1ll loosen thehusks from the ear of corn with further provision of a pneumatic devicefor separat ng the husks from the ears and for discharging the husks.

Another of mi objects is the prov s on of a novel drag mec anlsm formamtammg the ears in close contact with thehuskmg mechanism until thehusks have been stripped from the ears. Having in view these ob'ects andothers which will be pointed out in the followmg description, I will nowrefer to the drawings, in which Figure husking mechanism, the conveyorsabove the picking mechanism being removed to more clearly disclose thepickin mechanism.

Figure 2 is a view in si e elevation of that portion of my corn pickerwhich contains the picking and husking mechanlsm.

Figure 3 is a view in isometric pro ection showin particularly thesnapping rollers, the husiing rollers and the apron conve or betvleenthem. t f th re isa viewmperspeclveo e blow i' for removing the husks.

Figure 5 is a view in perspect ve showing the mechanism for dragging t ethrough the husking m han sm.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the mechanism shown inFigure 7. Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of thesuction controlling huskroll. fihe sprocket wheel 42, as best shown inFigure 1, is secured to a shaft 43 which carries a bevel pinion 44 atits inner extremity. The bevel mion 44 meshes the bevel gear 45 to rivethe shaft 46. at ts forward end the shaft 46 is provided wlth auniversal joint 47 and it then passes through a wall 49 to the sna pingroller 50. The snapping rollso are 50 an 51 are provided withintermeshmg provision of a.

1 is a plan view of the picking and snapped ears feed screws 53 and thatthe ears wi be snapped from the stalks.

e husking mechanism includes two husking rolls 61 and 62 for looseningthe husks from the ears of corn. The roll 62 is provided with twolongitudinal rows of teeth which engage the husks while the roll 61'hasa rotating toothed beater which permits the free circulation'ofair'through the roll. The roll 61 comprises the spaced apart discs 103which are rigidl mounted upon the shaft 63 or may be made into with soas to rotate with the sha t 63. Between these discs 103 are wedged theplates 102 on diametrically shaft 63. There is a form or hood 104 partlycovering the roll 61 so that air may at the exposed portion of the roll61.

Referring again to Figure 1, it will be seen that the shaft 46 drivesthe shaft 63 through the sprocket chain 64, the shaft 63 having thehusking roll 61 secured thereto. The shaft 63 is connected with theshaft 63' through intermeshing gearing, the shaft 63' having the roll 62secured thereto. It is necessary, however, that a conveyor be employedin dragging the ears over-the huskmg rolls. For this urpose I provideanendless convefior wh ch is driven from a. shaft 65 whic receives powerthrough the sprocket chain 66v from the shaft 46. The ears falling fromthe snapping rolls over the apron 101 will fall on to the husking rollsat or near their forward I is desirable therefore that the conveyor 69dragthese ears over the husking rolls in a rearward direction. Therelationof the chain 69 to the bushing al there- 7 opposite sides of theonly 7 pass through the roll between the discs 103 so 5 extremity and itears of corn,

7 veyor 69. It is ingldownwardly between the discs 103 ofthe 55 o rolls61 and 62-is best shown in Figure 7. Underneath the chain and above aortion of the husking rolls is a platform 70, t e platform being cutaway to expose the operative portions of the husking rolls. A wall 71secured to the platform 70 separates the inner and outer runs of theconveyor 69. The conveyor is rovided with outwardly projecting lugs 2for positively engaging the the'lugs 72 being spaced sufliciently toreceive the longest ears of corn between two consecutive projections.The platform 70 terminates in a curved chute 73 which delivers the earsof corn at the side and at the rear of the husking mechanism intoanother chute 74 shown in Figure 2. The ear of corn will be rolled bythe husking rolls 61 and 62 and it will be dragged over these rolls bythe projections 72 on the condesirable, however, that an even moreintimate contact be made'between the ear of corn and the husking rollsand for roller having a row of teeth thereon, a second roll associatedwith said first mentioned roll said second roll consisting of aplurality o spaced apart discs, plates wedged between said discs, saidplates adapted to contact with the first mentioned roll in one positionof the second roll to prevent air from passing downwardly between saiddiscs, and suction means for creating a vacuum beneath said rolls, saidplates ada ted to be moved out of contact with said rst roll whereby asudden suction is induced downwardly between the discs of the secondroll.

2. A huskin mechanism includin a pair of husking re s, suction means unerneath said rolls for inducin a suction therebetween to remove the buss from ears of corn, and means on said husking rolls forintermitteililtly shutting ofi the suction betwen said m s.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

I JOHN E. BOCKMANN.

this purpose I provide; yielding pressure members 75. As shown in Figure8, these pressure members .taper toward their for ward extremities andtheir rear extremities are supported by means of coil springs 76 attacheto upstanding lugs at the rear extremities of the pressure members andto upstanding lugs on the upper edge of the wall 71. The ears will beragged through these pressure members which tend to force them down aainst the husking 'rolls.

means t e husks are torn ofi from the ears of corn and are carried bythe husking roll 62 and by a current of air into the chute 77immediately beneath the husking rolls, the current of air comin throughthe roll 61.

The chute 77 de 'vers the corn husks through a canvas elbow 78 into thepipe 79 and t rough a blower 80 where they are discharged in the rear ofthe implement as shown in Figure 1.

As the ro s 61 and 62 rotate the plates 102 on the roll 61 will come incontact with the roll 62 and at this time air is prevented from passingdownwardly through the roll 61 and the blower will exhaust the air fromthe chute 77 and the space beneath the rolls 61 and 62. Upon furtherrotation of the rolls 61 and 62, the plates 102 of the roll 61 will moveout of contact with the roll 62 and there will be -a sudden, strongsuction of air pass- 61 whereby the husks are torn ofi from By this,

the ears of corn and discharged from the machine. 7

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact termsthat its construction and operation. will be readily understood byothers skilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: v

1. A husking mechanism comprising a III

